<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g20-summit-us-china-high-stakes-bilateral-meeting-gets-underway-in-osaka-231356">G20 Summit: Trump says open to 'historic' trade deal with China</a>

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was ready for a "historic" deal with China as he kicked off a hotly awaited meeting with China's Xi Jinping, with the world watching to see if they can strike a deal over their long-running trade war.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-offers-to-meet-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-at-dmz-this-weekend-231334">'I would meet Kim at demilitarised zone to shake hand, say hello', tweets Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would like to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this weekend at the demilitarised zone (DMZ) on the border of North and South Korea.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-holds-bilateral-talks-with-indonesian-presdient-joko-widodo-brazilian-president-jair-bolsonaro-at-g20-summit-in-japans-osaka-231351">PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Indonesia, Brazil leaders at G20 Summit in Japan's Osaka</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Japan's Osaka.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-least-14-dead-after-wall-collapses-in-punes-kondhwa-area-231340">Four children among 17 dead after wall collapse in Pune's Kondhwa area</a>

Four children and a woman among 17 dead on Saturday following a wall collapse in Pune's Kondhwa area.

The compound wall collapsed around 1.45 am on Friday night in the Kondhawa area, an official said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-doing-spectacular-job-donald-trump-231336">Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman doing 'spectacular job': Donald Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump Saturday praised Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying he was doing a "spectacular job" as the pair met on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

G20 Summit: Trump says open to 'historic' trade deal with China US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was ready for a "historic" deal with China as he kicked off a hotly awaited meeting with China's Xi Jinping, with the world watching to see if they can strike a deal over their long-running trade war.

G20 Summit: Trump says open to 'historic' trade deal with China US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was ready for a "historic" deal with China as he kicked off a hotly awaited meeting with China's Xi Jinping, with the world watching to see if they can strike a deal over their long-running trade war. 'I would meet Kim at demilitarised zone to shake hand, say hello', tweets Trump US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would like to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this weekend at the demilitarised zone (DMZ) on the border of North and South Korea. PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Indonesia, Brazil leaders at G20 Summit in Japan's Osaka Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Japan's Osaka. Four children among 17 dead after wall collapse in Pune's Kondhwa area Four children and a woman among 17 dead on Saturday following a wall collapse in Pune's Kondhwa area. The compound wall collapsed around 1.45 am on Friday night in the Kondhawa area, an official said. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman doing 'spectacular job': Donald Trump US President Donald Trump Saturday praised Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying he was doing a "spectacular job" as the pair met on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/terrorism-biggest-threat-to-humanity-pm-modi-at-informal-brics-leaders-meeting-in-osaka-231033">Terrorism biggest threat to humanity, says PM Modi at informal BRICS leaders' meeting in Osaka</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that terrorism is the biggest threat to humanity which not only kills innocents but also severely affects the economic development and communal harmony.

Speaking at the informal BRICS leaders' meeting in Osaka, Modi said that there is a need to stop all the mediums of support to terrorism and racism.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/g20-summit-our-countries-have-never-been-closer-trump-on-us-india-ties-231018">G20 Summit: 'Our countries have never been closer', Trump on US-India ties</a>

''We have become great friends and our countries have never been closer. I can say that with surety,'' said US President Donald Trump during his bilateral talks with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-holds-trilateral-meeting-with-us-president-trump-japan-pm-abe-231016">G20 Summit: PM Modi, Trump, Abe hold trilateral meeting; discuss Indo-Pacific, connectivity</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held "productive" trilateral talks with US President Donald Trump and Japanese premier Shinzo Abe in Osaka, Japan on Friday ahead of the formal opening of the G-20 Summit and extensively discussed issues of the Indo-Pacific region, connectivity and infrastructure development.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/apple-design-chief-jony-ive-steve-jobs-confidant-to-leave-and-start-own-firm-231020">Apple design chief Jony Ive, Steve Jobs' confidant, to leave and start own firm</a>

Jony Ive, a close creative collaborator with Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs whose iPhone and other designs fueled Apple's rise to a $1 trillion company, will leave later this year to form an independent design company.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-on-course-to-exceed-nuclear-pact-limit-within-days-diplomats-231024">Iran on course to exceed nuclear pact limit within days: Diplomats</a>

Iran is on course to breach a threshold in its nuclear agreement within days by accumulating more enriched uranium than permitted, although it had not done so yet by a deadline it set for Thursday, diplomats said, citing UN inspectors' data.

Terrorism biggest threat to humanity, says PM Modi at informal BRICS leaders' meeting in Osaka Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that terrorism is the biggest threat to humanity which not only kills innocents but also severely affects the economic development and communal harmony.

Terrorism biggest threat to humanity, says PM Modi at informal BRICS leaders' meeting in Osaka Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that terrorism is the biggest threat to humanity which not only kills innocents but also severely affects the economic development and communal harmony. Speaking at the informal BRICS leaders' meeting in Osaka, Modi said that there is a need to stop all the mediums of support to terrorism and racism. G20 Summit: 'Our countries have never been closer', Trump on US-India ties ''We have become great friends and our countries have never been closer. I can say that with surety,'' said US President Donald Trump during his bilateral talks with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. G20 Summit: PM Modi, Trump, Abe hold trilateral meeting; discuss Indo-Pacific, connectivity Prime Minister Narendra Modi held "productive" trilateral talks with US President Donald Trump and Japanese premier Shinzo Abe in Osaka, Japan on Friday ahead of the formal opening of the G-20 Summit and extensively discussed issues of the Indo-Pacific region, connectivity and infrastructure development. Apple design chief Jony Ive, Steve Jobs' confidant, to leave and start own firm Jony Ive, a close creative collaborator with Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs whose iPhone and other designs fueled Apple's rise to a $1 trillion company, will leave later this year to form an independent design company. Iran on course to exceed nuclear pact limit within days: Diplomats Iran is on course to breach a threshold in its nuclear agreement within days by accumulating more enriched uranium than permitted, although it had not done so yet by a deadline it set for Thursday, diplomats said, citing UN inspectors' data.

Asian share markets turned higher on Thursday following a media report the United States and China have tentatively agreed to a truce in their trade war, ahead of a closely-watched meeting between the two nations this weekend.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing sources, said in Washington and Beijing were laying out an agreement that would help avert the next round of tariffs on an additional $300 billion of Chinese imports.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said a trade deal with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping was possible this weekend though he was prepared to impose tariffs on virtually all remaining Chinese imports if talks fail.

"But the truce cake seems to have been baked," the SCMP cited one of its sources as saying.

Hopes the world's two biggest economies would finally reach an agreement were enough to cheer investors, sending MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.6%.

China led the gains with its blue-chip index up 1.4%. South Korea's KOSPI index was up 0.6% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng and Japan's Nikkei jumped 0.8%.

Relations between Washington and Beijing have spiralled downward since talks collapsed in May, when the United States accused China of reneging on pledges to reform its economy.

The ongoing trade war has already rattled investors who have ditched shares for the safety of bonds and gold this year. It has also prompted the U.S. Federal Reserve to pause its rate tightenings and, in fact, signal a cut as soon as next month.

Many traders said they expected the market to remain in a narrow range until after the weekend meeting of G20 leaders in Osaka, Japan where Trump is also holding bilateral talks with other nations.

"The bottom line is the market has been hit by a barrage of noise that gives us less clarity than before," said Chris Weston, market strategist at Pepperstone.

"While the most likely situation is we simply hear a lot of bravadoes that the two sides plan to work closely together and agree to find a solution that is amicable, we still need to consider if the event poses a gaping risk for markets," he added.

"It certainly feels as though the probability is we will see traders manage exposures, refraining from adding too much additional risk just in case."

Wall Street had been circumspect, with the Dow ending Wednesday down 0.04%, while the S&amp;P 500 lost 0.12% and the Nasdaq rose 0.32%.

Less that 50

Trump weighed into US monetary policy on Wednesday, accusing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell of doing a "bad job" and "out to prove how tough he is" by not cutting interest rates.

Markets are convinced the Fed will indeed ease at its next meeting in July, but had to scale back bets on a half-point cut following cautious comments from various policymakers.

Futures are 100% priced for a cut of 25 basis points, and imply a 22% chance of 50 basis points.

The probability of a less aggressive Fed and expectations of a Sino-China trade truce helped ease the selling pressure on the US dollar, which inched up to 96.276 on a basket of currencies from a three-month trough of 95.843.

The dollar bounced modestly against the yen to 107.97 and away from a low of 106.77. The euro likewise eased back to $1.13615 from a top of $1.1412.

The dollar's gains took a little of the shine off gold, which broke a six-session winning stretch and eased to $1,407.22 per ounce.

Oil prices ran into profit-taking in early Asia, having gained overnight on a larger-than-expected drawdown in crude stocks as exports hit a record high and surprise falls in refined product stockpiles.

Brent crude futures eased 20 cents to $66.29, while US crude lost 22 cents to $59.16 a barrel. 
&nbsp;

Asian share markets turned higher on Thursday following a media report the United States and China have tentatively agreed to a truce in their trade war, ahead of a closely-watched meeting between the two nations this weekend.

Asian share markets turned higher on Thursday following a media report the United States and China have tentatively agreed to a truce in their trade war, ahead of a closely-watched meeting between the two nations this weekend. The South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing sources, said in Washington and Beijing were laying out an agreement that would help avert the next round of tariffs on an additional $300 billion of Chinese imports. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said a trade deal with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping was possible this weekend though he was prepared to impose tariffs on virtually all remaining Chinese imports if talks fail. "But the truce cake seems to have been baked," the SCMP cited one of its sources as saying. Hopes the world's two biggest economies would finally reach an agreement were enough to cheer investors, sending MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.6%. China led the gains with its blue-chip index up 1.4%. South Korea's KOSPI index was up 0.6% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng and Japan's Nikkei jumped 0.8%. Relations between Washington and Beijing have spiralled downward since talks collapsed in May, when the United States accused China of reneging on pledges to reform its economy. The ongoing trade war has already rattled investors who have ditched shares for the safety of bonds and gold this year. It has also prompted the U.S. Federal Reserve to pause its rate tightenings and, in fact, signal a cut as soon as next month. Many traders said they expected the market to remain in a narrow range until after the weekend meeting of G20 leaders in Osaka, Japan where Trump is also holding bilateral talks with other nations. "The bottom line is the market has been hit by a barrage of noise that gives us less clarity than before," said Chris Weston, market strategist at Pepperstone. "While the most likely situation is we simply hear a lot of bravadoes that the two sides plan to work closely together and agree to find a solution that is amicable, we still need to consider if the event poses a gaping risk for markets," he added. "It certainly feels as though the probability is we will see traders manage exposures, refraining from adding too much additional risk just in case." Wall Street had been circumspect, with the Dow ending Wednesday down 0.04%, while the S&P 500 lost 0.12% and the Nasdaq rose 0.32%. Less that 50 Trump weighed into US monetary policy on Wednesday, accusing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell of doing a "bad job" and "out to prove how tough he is" by not cutting interest rates. Markets are convinced the Fed will indeed ease at its next meeting in July, but had to scale back bets on a half-point cut following cautious comments from various policymakers. Futures are 100% priced for a cut of 25 basis points, and imply a 22% chance of 50 basis points. The probability of a less aggressive Fed and expectations of a Sino-China trade truce helped ease the selling pressure on the US dollar, which inched up to 96.276 on a basket of currencies from a three-month trough of 95.843. The dollar bounced modestly against the yen to 107.97 and away from a low of 106.77. The euro likewise eased back to $1.13615 from a top of $1.1412. The dollar's gains took a little of the shine off gold, which broke a six-session winning stretch and eased to $1,407.22 per ounce. Oil prices ran into profit-taking in early Asia, having gained overnight on a larger-than-expected drawdown in crude stocks as exports hit a record high and surprise falls in refined product stockpiles. Brent crude futures eased 20 cents to $66.29, while US crude lost 22 cents to $59.16 a barrel.

Asian shares creep higher on hopes of US-China trade truce

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/g20-summit-pm-modi-to-meet-trump-and-attend-two-trilateral-meetings-on-friday-230703">G20 Summit: PM Modi to meet Trump, attend two trilateral on Friday</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Osaka, Japan for the 14th G20 Summit, will be meeting US President Donald Trump on Friday.

This is Modi's first meeting with the US president in his second term.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-xi-trade-meeting-set-for-saturday-morning-in-osaka-white-house-230701">Trump-Xi to hold trade talks on Saturday morning in Osaka: White House</a>

US President Donald Trump is set to hold much-anticipated trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Osaka at 11:30 am&nbsp;on Saturday, news agency Reuters reported on Wednesday quoting a White House spokesman.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-slams-south-for-meddling-in-talks-with-us-230705">North Korea slams South for 'meddling' in talks with US</a>

North Korea on Thursday warned the South to stop "meddling" in talks between Pyongyang and Washington, repudiating its neighbour days before US President Donald Trump arrives in Seoul amid a nuclear deadlock.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/g20-summit-to-discuss-progress-in-tackling-terrorism-climate-change-pm-modi-230700">G20 Summit to discuss progress in tackling terrorism, climate change: PM Modi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that progress achieved in combating global challenges like terrorism and climate change will be discussed at the G20 Summit in Japan and it will also be a platform to share India's development experience of the past five years.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-student-feared-detained-in-north-korea-230713">Australian student feared detained in North Korea</a>

Australia on Thursday said it was "urgently seeking clarification" on the fate of a citizen feared detained in North Korea.

The department of foreign affairs said it was in contact with the family of a man "who has been reported as being detained in North Korea".

G20 Summit: PM Modi to meet Trump, attend two trilateral on Friday Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Osaka, Japan for the 14th G20 Summit, will be meeting US President Donald Trump on Friday.

G20 Summit: PM Modi to meet Trump, attend two trilateral on Friday Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Osaka, Japan for the 14th G20 Summit, will be meeting US President Donald Trump on Friday. This is Modi's first meeting with the US president in his second term. Trump-Xi to hold trade talks on Saturday morning in Osaka: White House US President Donald Trump is set to hold much-anticipated trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Osaka at 11:30 am on Saturday, news agency Reuters reported on Wednesday quoting a White House spokesman. North Korea slams South for 'meddling' in talks with US North Korea on Thursday warned the South to stop "meddling" in talks between Pyongyang and Washington, repudiating its neighbour days before US President Donald Trump arrives in Seoul amid a nuclear deadlock. G20 Summit to discuss progress in tackling terrorism, climate change: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that progress achieved in combating global challenges like terrorism and climate change will be discussed at the G20 Summit in Japan and it will also be a platform to share India's development experience of the past five years. Australian student feared detained in North Korea Australia on Thursday said it was "urgently seeking clarification" on the fate of a citizen feared detained in North Korea. The department of foreign affairs said it was in contact with the family of a man "who has been reported as being detained in North Korea".

PM Narendra Modi will be meeting US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin in Japan for Bilateral G20 Summit. Watch full video to know more.

PM Modi to meet Trump, Putin at G20 Summit

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton on Sunday warned Iran saying that"Neither Iran nor any other hostile actor should mistake U.S. prudence and discretion for weakness," Bolton said. "No one has granted them a hunting license in the Middle East." Watch full video to know more.

US national security advisor John Bolton warns Iran

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-he-aborted-retaliatory-strike-to-spare-iranian-lives-229374">Trump says he aborted retaliatory strike to spare Iranian lives</a>

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he aborted a military strike to retaliate for Iran's downing of an unmanned US drone because it could have killed 150 people, and signalled he was open to talks with Tehran.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-to-seek-stronger-strategic-ties-with-india-despite-trade-tensions-229376">Pompeo to seek stronger strategic ties with India despite trade tensions</a>

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will seek to further strengthen strategic ties with India during a visit next week despite increasing frictions over trade, data flows and arms from Russia, officials said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/mike-pompeo-asks-pakistan-to-do-more-on-religious-freedom-229388">Mike Pompeo asks Pakistan to do more on religious freedom</a>

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday urged Pakistan to do more to stop the abuse of blasphemy laws after the release of Asia Bibi, who escaped a death sentence in a case that drew international scrutiny.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-xi-jinping-agree-to-grow-ties-whatever-external-situation-report-229384">Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping agree to grow ties whatever external situation: Report</a>

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and China's President Xi Jinping reached a consensus on "important issues," and agreed to build on their countries' friendly relations "whatever the international situation," North Korean state media reported.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjps-vote-share-increased-despite-sp-bsp-alliance-defence-minister-rajnath-singh-in-lucknow-229387">BJP's vote share increased despite SP-BSP alliance: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lucknow</a>

After getting re-elected to Parliament with a massive mandate in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday visited his constituency, Lucknow, where he said that BJP's thumping win in the elections was a "huge thing" as the party's vote share increased despite the SP-BSP alliance.

Trump says he aborted retaliatory strike to spare Iranian lives US President Donald Trump said on Friday he aborted a military strike to retaliate for Iran's downing of an unmanned US drone because it could have killed 150 people, and signalled he was open to talks with Tehran.

Trump says he aborted retaliatory strike to spare Iranian lives US President Donald Trump said on Friday he aborted a military strike to retaliate for Iran's downing of an unmanned US drone because it could have killed 150 people, and signalled he was open to talks with Tehran. Pompeo to seek stronger strategic ties with India despite trade tensions US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will seek to further strengthen strategic ties with India during a visit next week despite increasing frictions over trade, data flows and arms from Russia, officials said. Mike Pompeo asks Pakistan to do more on religious freedom US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday urged Pakistan to do more to stop the abuse of blasphemy laws after the release of Asia Bibi, who escaped a death sentence in a case that drew international scrutiny. Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping agree to grow ties whatever external situation: Report North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and China's President Xi Jinping reached a consensus on "important issues," and agreed to build on their countries' friendly relations "whatever the international situation," North Korean state media reported. BJP's vote share increased despite SP-BSP alliance: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lucknow After getting re-elected to Parliament with a massive mandate in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday visited his constituency, Lucknow, where he said that BJP's thumping win in the elections was a "huge thing" as the party's vote share increased despite the SP-BSP alliance.

Oil prices rose on Friday, with Brent crude heading for its first weekly gain in five weeks on tensions in the Middle East after Iran shot down a US military drone and on hopes for a drop in US interest rates that may stimulate global growth.

While US President Donald Trump played down the destruction of the drone, tensions remain high after the latest incident in the Gulf, which followed tanker attacks last week that raised concerns about crucial oil supplies being disrupted.

The demand-side picture has also improved, with expectations that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its next meeting and with plans by Beijing and Washington to resume talks to resolve a trade war that has hit economic growth prospects.

Brent crude was up 39 cents, or 0.6%, at $64.84 a barrel by 0034 GMT. The global benchmark rose 4.3% on Thursday and is heading for a weekly gain of more than 4% after four weeks of decline.

US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 32 cents, or 0.6%, at $57.39 a barrel. The US benchmark rose 5.4% on Thursday and is on track for a nearly 10% increase this week.

Potential supply "disruptions have boosted energy prices combined with the dollar weakness after the Fed signalled an interest rate is near," Alfonso Esparza, senior market analyst at OANDA, said in a note.

A weaker greenback tends to support oil prices because crude is usually priced in dollars.

"Trade anxiety has died down, pushing energy prices higher as global growth will not be pressured by a prolonged tariff war," Esparza said.

Concern about slowing economic growth and a US-China trade dispute had pulled oil lower in recent weeks. That came after Brent reached a 2019-high above $75 in April.

Trump said on Thursday he suspected the drone was shot down by mistake and that "it would have made a big difference" to him if the remotely-controlled aircraft had been piloted.

While the comments appeared to suggest Trump was not eager to escalate the latest in a series of incidents with Iran, he also warned that: "This country will not stand for it".

Tehran said the unarmed Global Hawk surveillance drone was on a spy mission over its territory, but Washington said it was shot down over international airspace.

Several top US House Republicans said on Thursday the United States must undertake a "measured response" to Iran.

Tension has been rising in the Middle East, home to over 20% of the world's oil output, after attacks on two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for oil supplies.

Washington blamed Tehran for the tanker attacks. Iran denied any role.

A drop in US crude inventories has also supported prices.

Oil prices rose on Friday, with Brent crude heading for its first weekly gain in five weeks on tensions in the Middle East after Iran shot down a US military drone and on hopes for a drop in US interest rates that may stimulate global growth.

Oil prices rose on Friday, with Brent crude heading for its first weekly gain in five weeks on tensions in the Middle East after Iran shot down a US military drone and on hopes for a drop in US interest rates that may stimulate global growth. While US President Donald Trump played down the destruction of the drone, tensions remain high after the latest incident in the Gulf, which followed tanker attacks last week that raised concerns about crucial oil supplies being disrupted. The demand-side picture has also improved, with expectations that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its next meeting and with plans by Beijing and Washington to resume talks to resolve a trade war that has hit economic growth prospects. Brent crude was up 39 cents, or 0.6%, at $64.84 a barrel by 0034 GMT. The global benchmark rose 4.3% on Thursday and is heading for a weekly gain of more than 4% after four weeks of decline. US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 32 cents, or 0.6%, at $57.39 a barrel. The US benchmark rose 5.4% on Thursday and is on track for a nearly 10% increase this week. Potential supply "disruptions have boosted energy prices combined with the dollar weakness after the Fed signalled an interest rate is near," Alfonso Esparza, senior market analyst at OANDA, said in a note. A weaker greenback tends to support oil prices because crude is usually priced in dollars. "Trade anxiety has died down, pushing energy prices higher as global growth will not be pressured by a prolonged tariff war," Esparza said. Concern about slowing economic growth and a US-China trade dispute had pulled oil lower in recent weeks. That came after Brent reached a 2019-high above $75 in April. Trump said on Thursday he suspected the drone was shot down by mistake and that "it would have made a big difference" to him if the remotely-controlled aircraft had been piloted. While the comments appeared to suggest Trump was not eager to escalate the latest in a series of incidents with Iran, he also warned that: "This country will not stand for it". Tehran said the unarmed Global Hawk surveillance drone was on a spy mission over its territory, but Washington said it was shot down over international airspace. Several top US House Republicans said on Thursday the United States must undertake a "measured response" to Iran. Tension has been rising in the Middle East, home to over 20% of the world's oil output, after attacks on two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for oil supplies. Washington blamed Tehran for the tanker attacks. Iran denied any role. A drop in US crude inventories has also supported prices.

Oil prices extend gains amid Middle East tensions, rate cut hopes

Asian shares hit five-week highs on Wednesday as investors hoped the Federal Reserve would follow the lead of the European Central Bank and open the door to future rate cuts at its policy meeting later in the day.

Indeed, ECB President Mario Draghi's shock about-face on easing fuelled talk of a worldwide wave of central bank stimulus, firing up stocks, bonds and commodities.

Adding to the cheer was news US President Donald Trump would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit later this month, and that trade talks would restart after a recent lull. But most analysts do not expect a decisive breakthrough.

"We expect no real change following the G20 sideline meeting. (But) the fact that both sides are talking should at least postpone thoughts of a further increase in tariffs, for a while at least...," ING's Greater China economist Iris Pang said in a note.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed 1.5% to a five-week top. Shanghai blue chips firmed 1.7% to a six-week peak.

Japan's Nikkei rose 1.6%, while Australia added 1% to its highest in 11 years. E-Mini futures for the S&amp;P 500 were a fraction firmer after an upbeat Wall Street session.

The Dow ended Tuesday with gains of 1.35%, while the S&amp;P 500 rose 0.97% and the Nasdaq 1.39%. The S&amp;P 500 has surged 6% so far this month to be 1% from the all-time high hit in early May.

All eyes are now upon the Fed which is scheduled to release a statement at 1800 GMT on Wednesday, followed by a press conference by Chairman Jerome Powell shortly after.

Yet the heightened anticipation also creates risks the Fed might fail to meet investors' high expectations.

"Market expectations for a dovish shift are nearly universal, the only question seems to be the degree," said Blake Gwinn, head of front-end rates at NatWest Markets.

Futures are almost fully priced for a quarter-point easing in July and imply more than 60 basis points of cuts by Christmas.

"Markets will be looking for validation of this pricing," he added. "We think this represents a fairly high bar for the Fed to deliver a dovish surprise."

Sub-zero yields

BofA Merrill Lynch's latest fund manager survey spoke volumes about the sea change in sentiment.

Allocation to global equities dropped 32 points to a net 21% underweight, the lowest since March 2009, while the bond allocation hit the highest since September 2011.

Interest rate expectations collapsed, while concerns about a trade war soared to be the top risk for investors, ahead of monetary policy impotence, US politics and a slower China.

The shift was clear in bond markets where German yields hit record lows deep in negative territory, while Japanese yields sank to the lowest since August 2016 at -0.145%.

Yields on the US 10-year note reached the lowest since September 2017 at 2.016%, a world away from the 3.25% top touched in November last year.

The fallout in currencies was significantly less, in large part because it was hard for one to gain when all the major central banks were under pressure to ease.

The euro did pull back a bit after Draghi's comments, but at $1.1192 was still well within the recent trading range of $1.1106-$1.1347.

The dollar remained sidelined against the yen at 108.49, and a shade firmer on a basket of currencies at 97.657. The yuan picked up to 6.905 to the dollar on the trade news.

In commodity markets, the rate-cut buzz kept gold near 14-month highs at $1,344.20 per ounce.

Michael Hsueh, an analyst at Deutsche, noted the decisively dovish shift in central bank expectations was bullish for gold.

"This provides the desired backdrop - one in which investors are less likely to be concerned about the opportunity cost of holding a non-yielding asset, particularly versus the increasing stock of negative-yielding debt," he said.

Reflation trades helped steady oil prices, as did hopes for a thaw in Sino-US tensions.

Brent crude futures were off 6 cents at $62.06, while US crude firmed 3 cents to $53.93 a barrel.

Confidence among Asian companies in the second quarter fell to its lowest since the 2008-09 financial crisis, as the trade war disrupts global supply chains and shows little sign of easing soon, a Thomson Reuters/INSEAD survey found.

Asian shares hit five-week highs on Wednesday as investors hoped the Federal Reserve would follow the lead of the European Central Bank and open the door to future rate cuts at its policy meeting later in the day.

Asian shares hit five-week highs on Wednesday as investors hoped the Federal Reserve would follow the lead of the European Central Bank and open the door to future rate cuts at its policy meeting later in the day. Indeed, ECB President Mario Draghi's shock about-face on easing fuelled talk of a worldwide wave of central bank stimulus, firing up stocks, bonds and commodities. Adding to the cheer was news US President Donald Trump would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit later this month, and that trade talks would restart after a recent lull. But most analysts do not expect a decisive breakthrough. "We expect no real change following the G20 sideline meeting. (But) the fact that both sides are talking should at least postpone thoughts of a further increase in tariffs, for a while at least...," ING's Greater China economist Iris Pang said in a note. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed 1.5% to a five-week top. Shanghai blue chips firmed 1.7% to a six-week peak. Japan's Nikkei rose 1.6%, while Australia added 1% to its highest in 11 years. E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 were a fraction firmer after an upbeat Wall Street session. The Dow ended Tuesday with gains of 1.35%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.97% and the Nasdaq 1.39%. The S&P 500 has surged 6% so far this month to be 1% from the all-time high hit in early May. All eyes are now upon the Fed which is scheduled to release a statement at 1800 GMT on Wednesday, followed by a press conference by Chairman Jerome Powell shortly after. Yet the heightened anticipation also creates risks the Fed might fail to meet investors' high expectations. "Market expectations for a dovish shift are nearly universal, the only question seems to be the degree," said Blake Gwinn, head of front-end rates at NatWest Markets. Futures are almost fully priced for a quarter-point easing in July and imply more than 60 basis points of cuts by Christmas. "Markets will be looking for validation of this pricing," he added. "We think this represents a fairly high bar for the Fed to deliver a dovish surprise." Sub-zero yields BofA Merrill Lynch's latest fund manager survey spoke volumes about the sea change in sentiment. Allocation to global equities dropped 32 points to a net 21% underweight, the lowest since March 2009, while the bond allocation hit the highest since September 2011. Interest rate expectations collapsed, while concerns about a trade war soared to be the top risk for investors, ahead of monetary policy impotence, US politics and a slower China. The shift was clear in bond markets where German yields hit record lows deep in negative territory, while Japanese yields sank to the lowest since August 2016 at -0.145%. Yields on the US 10-year note reached the lowest since September 2017 at 2.016%, a world away from the 3.25% top touched in November last year. The fallout in currencies was significantly less, in large part because it was hard for one to gain when all the major central banks were under pressure to ease. The euro did pull back a bit after Draghi's comments, but at $1.1192 was still well within the recent trading range of $1.1106-$1.1347. The dollar remained sidelined against the yen at 108.49, and a shade firmer on a basket of currencies at 97.657. The yuan picked up to 6.905 to the dollar on the trade news. In commodity markets, the rate-cut buzz kept gold near 14-month highs at $1,344.20 per ounce. Michael Hsueh, an analyst at Deutsche, noted the decisively dovish shift in central bank expectations was bullish for gold. "This provides the desired backdrop - one in which investors are less likely to be concerned about the opportunity cost of holding a non-yielding asset, particularly versus the increasing stock of negative-yielding debt," he said. Reflation trades helped steady oil prices, as did hopes for a thaw in Sino-US tensions. Brent crude futures were off 6 cents at $62.06, while US crude firmed 3 cents to $53.93 a barrel. Confidence among Asian companies in the second quarter fell to its lowest since the 2008-09 financial crisis, as the trade war disrupts global supply chains and shows little sign of easing soon, a Thomson Reuters/INSEAD survey found.

Asian shares climb, wager all on dovish Fed, trade hopes revive

It's been a year since US President Donald Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Singapore. What really has changed for the 2 countries and the world since then? Know what US, Russia, Japan have to say about it. Watch full video to know more.

Have North Korea-US relations improved in last one year?

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be visiting India from June&nbsp;25-27.&nbsp;

US envoy to India Kenneth Jester speaking at the American Independence Day celebrations in Delhi announced that Pompeo will visit India later this month.

Pompeo last visited India in September of 2018 for the ''2+2 dialogue'' between the then Indian defence and foreign ministers with their American counterparts.

The visit will come just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meet with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan from June 28-29.

After Trump's congratulatory call to Modi after re-election, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "The two leaders agreed to meet at the forthcoming G-20 Summit in Japan, to discuss bilateral relations and global matters."

Trump, Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met for the first meet of JAI--Japan, America and India grouping--on the sidelines of G20 summit in Argentina in December 2018.

Lauding India-US ties, American envoy said, "US-India partnership is durable and effective because it is based on the foundation of common values are societies cherish, like individual liberties, free enterprise, human rights, open societies and rule of law"

India-US ties have grown in last few years, but thorny issues, especially on trade, remains. On Wednesday, Washington's Generalized System of Preference (GSP) which is a trade preference programme for developing countries came to an end for New Delhi. India was the largest beneficiary of GSP in 2017 and was able to export $5.7 billion Indian goods to US duty-free.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be visiting India from June 25-27. US envoy to India Kenneth Jester speaking at the American Independence Day celebrations in Delhi announced that Pompeo will visit India later this month.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be visiting India from June 25-27. US envoy to India Kenneth Jester speaking at the American Independence Day celebrations in Delhi announced that Pompeo will visit India later this month. Pompeo last visited India in September of 2018 for the ''2+2 dialogue'' between the then Indian defence and foreign ministers with their American counterparts. The visit will come just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meet with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan from June 28-29. After Trump's congratulatory call to Modi after re-election, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "The two leaders agreed to meet at the forthcoming G-20 Summit in Japan, to discuss bilateral relations and global matters." Trump, Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met for the first meet of JAI--Japan, America and India grouping--on the sidelines of G20 summit in Argentina in December 2018. Lauding India-US ties, American envoy said, "US-India partnership is durable and effective because it is based on the foundation of common values are societies cherish, like individual liberties, free enterprise, human rights, open societies and rule of law" India-US ties have grown in last few years, but thorny issues, especially on trade, remains. On Wednesday, Washington's Generalized System of Preference (GSP) which is a trade preference programme for developing countries came to an end for New Delhi. India was the largest beneficiary of GSP in 2017 and was able to export $5.7 billion Indian goods to US duty-free.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to visit India later this month

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-ex-campaign-chief-paul-manafort-jailed-for-43-more-months-203163">Paul Manafort, US President Donald Trump's former campaign</a> chairman who was convicted of tax and bank fraud, may be transferred to Rikers Island jail in New York to face state criminal charges, a person familiar with the matter said.

Manafort, 70, is serving a combined sentence of 7-1/2 years in prison from two separate federal criminal cases, the longest term of anyone stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and contacts between Moscow and Trump's campaign.

The veteran Republican political operative, who was paid millions of dollars for his work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, had been expected to be transferred to New York state custody in June, another person familiar with the matter said.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

Defendants facing charges brought by the Manhattan District Attorney are typically held at Rikers Island, a troubled jail complex that handles about 9,000 people a day, another city jail known as the Tombs, or Bellevue hospital, if a defendant has a medical condition.

According to the New York City Department of Corrections, a judge will decide whether he will be entering their custody.

A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Manafort did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Manafort was charged by prosecutors in New York in March with residential mortgage fraud and other felonies, as state lawmakers moved to ensure that he can be prosecuted even if he receives a presidential pardon from Trump. Presidents possess the power to issue pardons for federal crimes, not state crimes.

Prosecutors said the charges involved a scheme in which Manafort and others falsified records to obtain millions of dollars related to property loans. Manafort faces up to 25 years in prison on the three most serious charges in the latest indictment, residential mortgage fraud in the first degree.

Manafort was convicted by a Virginia jury last year on tax and bank fraud charges and pleaded guilty in Washington to charges including unregistered lobbying and witness tampering.

Paul Manafort, US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman who was convicted of tax and bank fraud, may be transferred to Rikers Island jail in New York to face state criminal charges, a person familiar with the matter said.

Paul Manafort, US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman who was convicted of tax and bank fraud, may be transferred to Rikers Island jail in New York to face state criminal charges, a person familiar with the matter said. Manafort, 70, is serving a combined sentence of 7-1/2 years in prison from two separate federal criminal cases, the longest term of anyone stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and contacts between Moscow and Trump's campaign. The veteran Republican political operative, who was paid millions of dollars for his work for pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, had been expected to be transferred to New York state custody in June, another person familiar with the matter said. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity. Defendants facing charges brought by the Manhattan District Attorney are typically held at Rikers Island, a troubled jail complex that handles about 9,000 people a day, another city jail known as the Tombs, or Bellevue hospital, if a defendant has a medical condition. According to the New York City Department of Corrections, a judge will decide whether he will be entering their custody. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Manafort did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Manafort was charged by prosecutors in New York in March with residential mortgage fraud and other felonies, as state lawmakers moved to ensure that he can be prosecuted even if he receives a presidential pardon from Trump. Presidents possess the power to issue pardons for federal crimes, not state crimes. Prosecutors said the charges involved a scheme in which Manafort and others falsified records to obtain millions of dollars related to property loans. Manafort faces up to 25 years in prison on the three most serious charges in the latest indictment, residential mortgage fraud in the first degree. Manafort was convicted by a Virginia jury last year on tax and bank fraud charges and pleaded guilty in Washington to charges including unregistered lobbying and witness tampering.

Former Trump campaign chairman Manafort may go to Rikers Island jail

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-rules-out-talks-unless-us-changes-behaviour-223694">Tehran would not be "deceived"</a> by US President Donald Trump’s offer of negotiations and would not give up its missile programme.

Iran and the United States have been drawn into starker confrontation in the past month, a year after Washington pulled out of a deal between Iran and global powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for lifting international sanctions.

Trump has condemned the nuclear deal, signed by his predecessor Barack Obama, as flawed for not being permanent and for not covering Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its role in conflicts around the Middle East. He has called on Iran to come to the negotiating table to reach a new deal.

Trump said last week that Iran "has a chance to be a great country, with the same leadership. We’re not looking for regime change. I just want to make that clear. We’re looking for no nuclear weapons."

Reacting to those comments, Khamenei said in a speech broadcast on state television: "The US president recently said Iran can achieve development with its current leaders. That means they do not seek regime change ... But this political trick will not deceive Iranian officials and the Iranian nation."

"In the missile programme, they know we have reached a point of deterrence and stability. They want to deprive us from it, but they will never succeed," Khamenei said, speaking at a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Khamenei said US sanctions have created hardship for Iranians and called on the government to make improving economic conditions its top priority.

President Hassan Rouhani, who has taken a softer stance, suggested last week that Iran might be willing to hold talks if the United States showed it respect and lifted sanctions.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday the United States was prepared to engage with Iran without pre-conditions about its nuclear programme. Iran dismissed the offer as "word-play".

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Tehran would not be "deceived" by US President Donald Trump’s offer of negotiations and would not give up its missile programme.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Tehran would not be "deceived" by US President Donald Trump’s offer of negotiations and would not give up its missile programme. Iran and the United States have been drawn into starker confrontation in the past month, a year after Washington pulled out of a deal between Iran and global powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for lifting international sanctions. Trump has condemned the nuclear deal, signed by his predecessor Barack Obama, as flawed for not being permanent and for not covering Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its role in conflicts around the Middle East. He has called on Iran to come to the negotiating table to reach a new deal. Trump said last week that Iran "has a chance to be a great country, with the same leadership. We’re not looking for regime change. I just want to make that clear. We’re looking for no nuclear weapons." Reacting to those comments, Khamenei said in a speech broadcast on state television: "The US president recently said Iran can achieve development with its current leaders. That means they do not seek regime change ... But this political trick will not deceive Iranian officials and the Iranian nation." "In the missile programme, they know we have reached a point of deterrence and stability. They want to deprive us from it, but they will never succeed," Khamenei said, speaking at a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Khamenei said US sanctions have created hardship for Iranians and called on the government to make improving economic conditions its top priority. President Hassan Rouhani, who has taken a softer stance, suggested last week that Iran might be willing to hold talks if the United States showed it respect and lifted sanctions. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday the United States was prepared to engage with Iran without pre-conditions about its nuclear programme. Iran dismissed the offer as "word-play".

Iran will not abandon its missile programme: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-and-may-reiterate-commitment-for-us-uk-trade-deal-224303">US President Donald Trump</a> on Tuesday warned fellow Republicans in Congress not to block his efforts to impose tariffs on Mexico as part of his broader immigration fight amid reports that lawmakers are considering steps to block his latest trade salvo.

Trump, speaking at a news conference in London during a state visit to the United Kingdom, said he doubted congressional Republicans would follow through with any rebuke, and that he expected tariffs on goods imported from Mexico to go forward next week.

"I don't think they will do that. I think if they do, it's foolish," he said, citing his broad support generally among members of the party.

Frustrated over the migrant crisis at the southern US border with Mexico, Trump last week said he would impose tariffs on Mexican imports starting June 10 unless Mexico halted the flows of Central American immigrants crossing Mexico to reach the United States.

Mexican officials, eager to avoid punitive tariffs and salvage a separate trade agreement between the two countries and Canada, have embarked on a diplomatic push in Washington to reach an agreement over the migrant flows.

Trump on Tuesday acknowledged the US-Mexican talks this week but said the tariffs were still likely.

On Monday, the Washington Post reported that congressional Republicans were discussing whether they may need to act to block Trump's planned tariffs, which has been criticized by the US Chamber of Commerce and industry groups who worry about increased costs for US businesses and consumers.

Republicans and Democrats are also worried about the economic impact of Trump's latest tariff threat, particularly for the US agriculture and auto sectors. Tariffs could also derail a separate trade deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that the Trump administration is trying to get Congress to approve.

Politico on Monday also reported Republicans were weighing whether a vote to block the tariffs was possible or whether Democrats, who control the US House of Representatives, might act first.

Republicans were more cautious in public comments on Tuesday even as some acknowledged congressional action regarding the Mexican tariffs, if they materialize, is likely.

Rob Portman, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Homeland Security panels, said lawmakers would be forced to act because Trump was imposing the tariffs using his emergency powers, "which is going to require another vote of disapproval."

"If the tariffs do go into effect on Monday ... Congress is likely to have a vote," he told CNBC.

US House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said he thinks a solution will be worked out to avoid the tariffs.

"I hope we can get to a good place, but I think the president has to use every device at his disposal," Republican Senator Thom Tillis told Fox News.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, told Reuters he would discuss the tariffs with Democratic committee chairs on Wednesday. "They ought to be focused on that and the consequences it has on our economy and American consumers," Hoyer said, adding that he hoped Republicans were interested in tackling the tariffs as well.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned fellow Republicans in Congress not to block his efforts to impose tariffs on Mexico as part of his broader immigration fight amid reports that lawmakers are considering steps to block his latest trade salvo.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned fellow Republicans in Congress not to block his efforts to impose tariffs on Mexico as part of his broader immigration fight amid reports that lawmakers are considering steps to block his latest trade salvo. Trump, speaking at a news conference in London during a state visit to the United Kingdom, said he doubted congressional Republicans would follow through with any rebuke, and that he expected tariffs on goods imported from Mexico to go forward next week. "I don't think they will do that. I think if they do, it's foolish," he said, citing his broad support generally among members of the party. Frustrated over the migrant crisis at the southern US border with Mexico, Trump last week said he would impose tariffs on Mexican imports starting June 10 unless Mexico halted the flows of Central American immigrants crossing Mexico to reach the United States. Mexican officials, eager to avoid punitive tariffs and salvage a separate trade agreement between the two countries and Canada, have embarked on a diplomatic push in Washington to reach an agreement over the migrant flows. Trump on Tuesday acknowledged the US-Mexican talks this week but said the tariffs were still likely. On Monday, the Washington Post reported that congressional Republicans were discussing whether they may need to act to block Trump's planned tariffs, which has been criticized by the US Chamber of Commerce and industry groups who worry about increased costs for US businesses and consumers. Republicans and Democrats are also worried about the economic impact of Trump's latest tariff threat, particularly for the US agriculture and auto sectors. Tariffs could also derail a separate trade deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that the Trump administration is trying to get Congress to approve. Politico on Monday also reported Republicans were weighing whether a vote to block the tariffs was possible or whether Democrats, who control the US House of Representatives, might act first. Republicans were more cautious in public comments on Tuesday even as some acknowledged congressional action regarding the Mexican tariffs, if they materialize, is likely. Rob Portman, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Homeland Security panels, said lawmakers would be forced to act because Trump was imposing the tariffs using his emergency powers, "which is going to require another vote of disapproval." "If the tariffs do go into effect on Monday ... Congress is likely to have a vote," he told CNBC. US House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said he thinks a solution will be worked out to avoid the tariffs. "I hope we can get to a good place, but I think the president has to use every device at his disposal," Republican Senator Thom Tillis told Fox News. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, told Reuters he would discuss the tariffs with Democratic committee chairs on Wednesday. "They ought to be focused on that and the consequences it has on our economy and American consumers," Hoyer said, adding that he hoped Republicans were interested in tackling the tariffs as well.

Trump says Republican would be 'foolish' to block Mexican tariffs

North Korea warned the United States that agreements made between the two countries' leaders in Singapore last year could be at risk, blaming the United States for undue pressure to denuclearise, state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday.

The statement comes as media reports indicated North Korea punished some members of its team that steered negotiations with the United States before a failed summit between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-execution-reports-north-koreas-ex-nuclear-envoy-seen-with-kim-jong-un-223735">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un</a> and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February.

Nearly a year after Trump and Kim first met in Singapore and signed a four-point joint statement pledging to work towards a new relationship, that agreement could be at risk if the United States does not drop its policy of “only insisting on our unilateral surrender of nuclear weapons”, an unnamed foreign ministry spokesman said in the statement.

Watch:&nbsp;North Korea executes nuclear envoy to US after failed Trump summit

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-executes-nuclear-envoy-to-us-after-failed-trump-summit-223251/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

North Korea warned that if the United States does not come up with something new “before it is too late”, the joint statement would just turn out to be a "mere blank sheet of paper".

"The US would be well-advised to change its current method of calculation and respond to our request as soon as possible,” the official said in the statement. ''There is a limit to our patience."

The summit in Hanoi fell apart when Trump said Kim had failed to offer enough nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles in exchange for lifting international sanctions.

However, North Korea said it was willing to continue to abide by the joint statement as long as the United States finds a constructive approach.

North Korea warned the United States that agreements made between the two countries' leaders in Singapore last year could be at risk, blaming the United States for undue pressure to denuclearise, state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday.

North Korea warned the United States that agreements made between the two countries' leaders in Singapore last year could be at risk, blaming the United States for undue pressure to denuclearise, state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday. The statement comes as media reports indicated North Korea punished some members of its team that steered negotiations with the United States before a failed summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February. Nearly a year after Trump and Kim first met in Singapore and signed a four-point joint statement pledging to work towards a new relationship, that agreement could be at risk if the United States does not drop its policy of “only insisting on our unilateral surrender of nuclear weapons”, an unnamed foreign ministry spokesman said in the statement. Watch: North Korea executes nuclear envoy to US after failed Trump summit North Korea warned that if the United States does not come up with something new “before it is too late”, the joint statement would just turn out to be a "mere blank sheet of paper". "The US would be well-advised to change its current method of calculation and respond to our request as soon as possible,” the official said in the statement. ''There is a limit to our patience." The summit in Hanoi fell apart when Trump said Kim had failed to offer enough nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles in exchange for lifting international sanctions. However, North Korea said it was willing to continue to abide by the joint statement as long as the United States finds a constructive approach.

'There is a limit to our patience,' North Korea warns US a year after accord

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sec-probes-siemens-ge-philips-in-alleged-china-medical-equipment-scheme-report-224228">US SEC probes Siemens, GE, Philips in alleged China medical equipment scheme: Report</a>

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Siemens AG, Philips NV and General Electric Co for allegedly using local middlemen to negotiate bribes with the Chinese government and hospital officials to sell medical equipment, two US sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-promises-uk-pm-theresa-may-very-substantial-trade-deal-after-brexit-224218">Donald Trump promises UK PM Theresa May 'very substantial' trade deal after Brexit</a>

US President Donald Trump touted a "very, very substantial trade deal" between the United States and Britain after Brexit as he met Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday for fraught talks held amid street protests.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/people-expect-century-but-my-focus-is-on-victory-says-virat-kohli-ahead-of-south-africa-clash-224280">People expect century but my focus is on victory, says Virat Kohli ahead of South Africa clash</a>

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli addressed a press conference a day before team's first match against South Africa on Wednesday at Southampton's Rose Bowl stadium.&nbsp;

Virat answered several questions asked by the reporters regarding Team India's planning for the World Cup tournament.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-holds-meetings-on-jammu-and-kashmir-delimitation-discussed-224193">Amit Shah holds meetings on Jammu and Kashmir, delimitation discussed</a>

Amit Shah has hit the ground running in the very first week of taking over as India’s Home Minister. He has held a slew of review meetings, mostly on internal security and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/satellites-spy-planes-roped-in-to-locate-indian-air-forces-missing-an-32-aircraft-224202">Satellites, spy planes roped in to locate Indian Air Force's missing AN-32 aircraft</a>

ISRO satellites and Naval P-8I spy planes have been pressed into service to locate the wreckage of the missing AN-32 aircraft which went missing Monday afternoon with 13 IAF personnel on board.

US SEC probes Siemens, GE, Philips in alleged China medical equipment scheme: Report The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Siemens AG, Philips NV and General Electric Co for allegedly using local middlemen to negotiate bribes with the Chinese government and hospital officials to sell medical equipment, two US sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

US SEC probes Siemens, GE, Philips in alleged China medical equipment scheme: Report The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Siemens AG, Philips NV and General Electric Co for allegedly using local middlemen to negotiate bribes with the Chinese government and hospital officials to sell medical equipment, two US sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Donald Trump promises UK PM Theresa May 'very substantial' trade deal after Brexit US President Donald Trump touted a "very, very substantial trade deal" between the United States and Britain after Brexit as he met Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday for fraught talks held amid street protests. People expect century but my focus is on victory, says Virat Kohli ahead of South Africa clash Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli addressed a press conference a day before team's first match against South Africa on Wednesday at Southampton's Rose Bowl stadium. Virat answered several questions asked by the reporters regarding Team India's planning for the World Cup tournament. Amit Shah holds meetings on Jammu and Kashmir, delimitation discussed Amit Shah has hit the ground running in the very first week of taking over as India’s Home Minister. He has held a slew of review meetings, mostly on internal security and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Satellites, spy planes roped in to locate Indian Air Force's missing AN-32 aircraft ISRO satellites and Naval P-8I spy planes have been pressed into service to locate the wreckage of the missing AN-32 aircraft which went missing Monday afternoon with 13 IAF personnel on board.

China warned its companies operating in the United States on Tuesday they could face harassment from US law enforcement agencies, as it also rebuffed US criticism of a trade white paper as "singing the same old tune".

Relations between the world's two largest economies have nosedived in recent months due to a bitter trade war, US sanctions against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and US support for Chinese-claimed Taiwan.

Tensions rose sharply in May after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-turns-to-brexit-and-huawei-as-protesters-mock-with-a-blimp-224195">US President Donald Trump'</a>s administration accused China of having "reneged" on its previous promises to make structural changes to its economic practices.

Washington later slapped additional tariffs of up to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate.

After having warned Chinese students and academics on Monday about risks involved in studying in the United States, the government on Tuesday widened its warning to include Chinese companies and tourists.

"In recent days, there have been incidents of gun violence, robberies and thefts in the United States," China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism said.

"The department reminds Chinese tourists to fully evaluate the risks of going to the United States, to understand the maintenance of public order of their destination, the laws and regulations, and to conscientiously raise their awareness of safety measures to ensure their safety."

Chinese companies and citizens in the United States should also be aware of harassment from law enforcement agencies, China's Foreign Ministry added.

Trump's administration said on Monday that China was pursuing a "blame game" in recent public statements and a weekend white paper that misrepresented the trade negotiations.

US-China Trade War: Advantage For India?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-china-trade-war-advantage-for-india-223999/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In a joint statement, the US Trade Representative's (USTR) office and the US Treasury reiterated their view that China's negotiators had "back-pedalled" on important elements of a deal that had been largely agreed, including on an enforcement provision.

"Our insistence on detailed and enforceable commitments from the Chinese in no way constitutes a threat to Chinese sovereignty," USTR and the Treasury said. "Rather, the issues discussed are common to trade agreements and are necessary to address the systemic issues that have contributed to persistent and unsustainable trade deficits."

Rising acrimony

China on Sunday issued a government policy paper on the US-China trade dispute in which it asserted that the United States bore responsibility for setbacks in the talks, citing three instances in which Washington had backtracked on commitments made during the negotiations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that the United States was "singing the same old tune", and urged Washington to read China's white papers and stop telling itself it is infallible.

Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen, a prominent member of Beijing's negotiating team, said in presenting the paper to the media that it would be impossible for the United States to use "extreme pressure" to force concessions from China.

Acrimonious rhetoric between Beijing and Washington has steadily increased since talks broke down in early May over US accusations that Beijing had backtracked on commitments to codify in law changes to its intellectual property and technology transfer practices to address US demands.

"The United States is disappointed that the Chinese have chosen in the 'White Paper' issued (on Sunday) and recent public statements to pursue a blame game misrepresenting the nature and history of trade negotiations between the two countries," USTR and Treasury said in the statement.

The agencies, which have taken the lead in negotiations for the US side, said that the impetus for the negotiations was China's "long history of unfair trade practices" and US negotiating positions have been consistent throughout the talks.

There have been no talks scheduled since the last round ended in May, and it remains unclear whether Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet when they both attend the G20 leaders summit this month in Japan.

China warned its companies operating in the United States on Tuesday they could face harassment from US law enforcement agencies, as it also rebuffed US criticism of a trade white paper as "singing the same old tune".

China warned its companies operating in the United States on Tuesday they could face harassment from US law enforcement agencies, as it also rebuffed US criticism of a trade white paper as "singing the same old tune". Relations between the world's two largest economies have nosedived in recent months due to a bitter trade war, US sanctions against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and US support for Chinese-claimed Taiwan. Tensions rose sharply in May after US President Donald Trump's administration accused China of having "reneged" on its previous promises to make structural changes to its economic practices. Washington later slapped additional tariffs of up to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate. After having warned Chinese students and academics on Monday about risks involved in studying in the United States, the government on Tuesday widened its warning to include Chinese companies and tourists. "In recent days, there have been incidents of gun violence, robberies and thefts in the United States," China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism said. "The department reminds Chinese tourists to fully evaluate the risks of going to the United States, to understand the maintenance of public order of their destination, the laws and regulations, and to conscientiously raise their awareness of safety measures to ensure their safety." Chinese companies and citizens in the United States should also be aware of harassment from law enforcement agencies, China's Foreign Ministry added. Trump's administration said on Monday that China was pursuing a "blame game" in recent public statements and a weekend white paper that misrepresented the trade negotiations. US-China Trade War: Advantage For India? In a joint statement, the US Trade Representative's (USTR) office and the US Treasury reiterated their view that China's negotiators had "back-pedalled" on important elements of a deal that had been largely agreed, including on an enforcement provision. "Our insistence on detailed and enforceable commitments from the Chinese in no way constitutes a threat to Chinese sovereignty," USTR and the Treasury said. "Rather, the issues discussed are common to trade agreements and are necessary to address the systemic issues that have contributed to persistent and unsustainable trade deficits." Rising acrimony China on Sunday issued a government policy paper on the US-China trade dispute in which it asserted that the United States bore responsibility for setbacks in the talks, citing three instances in which Washington had backtracked on commitments made during the negotiations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that the United States was "singing the same old tune", and urged Washington to read China's white papers and stop telling itself it is infallible. Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen, a prominent member of Beijing's negotiating team, said in presenting the paper to the media that it would be impossible for the United States to use "extreme pressure" to force concessions from China. Acrimonious rhetoric between Beijing and Washington has steadily increased since talks broke down in early May over US accusations that Beijing had backtracked on commitments to codify in law changes to its intellectual property and technology transfer practices to address US demands. "The United States is disappointed that the Chinese have chosen in the 'White Paper' issued (on Sunday) and recent public statements to pursue a blame game misrepresenting the nature and history of trade negotiations between the two countries," USTR and Treasury said in the statement. The agencies, which have taken the lead in negotiations for the US side, said that the impetus for the negotiations was China's "long history of unfair trade practices" and US negotiating positions have been consistent throughout the talks. There have been no talks scheduled since the last round ended in May, and it remains unclear whether Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet when they both attend the G20 leaders summit this month in Japan.

China warns its companies on US travel, rebuffs trade criticism

US President Donald Trump has announced tariffs on all Mexico goods. Watch this video to know more.

US President Trump announces tariffs on all Mexico goods

North Korean state media slammed former US vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lets-stop-fighting-start-fixing-biden-offers-anti-trump-theme-219725">Joe Biden for criticising leader Kim Jong Un</a>, calling him "bereft of elementary quality as a human being".

The criticism contrasts with North Korea's repeated references to the good relationship between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Kim said in April his personal relationship with Trump was still good despite the collapse of their second summit in Vietnam in February.

According to Newsweek, Biden said at a campaign launch in Philadelphia on Saturday: "Are we a nation that embraces dictators and tyrants like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and Kim Jong Un?"

State media the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) responded to criticism of the North's leadership in a commentary late on Tuesday.

"What he uttered is just sophism of an imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being, let alone a politician," it said.

KCNA listed previous controversies concerning Biden, including allegations of plagiarism and falling asleep during a speech by former President Barack Obama in 2011.

"We will never pardon anyone who dare provoke the supreme leadership of the DPRK but will certainly make them pay for it," KCNA said, using North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Denuclearisation talks have stalled since the breakdown of the second meeting between Trump and Kim in February and North Korea conducted more weapons tests this month.

The tests were seen as a protest by Kim after Trump rejected his calls for sanctions relief at the Hanoi summit.

North Korean state media slammed former US vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden for criticising leader Kim Jong Un, calling him "bereft of elementary quality as a human being".

North Korean state media slammed former US vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden for criticising leader Kim Jong Un, calling him "bereft of elementary quality as a human being". The criticism contrasts with North Korea's repeated references to the good relationship between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Kim said in April his personal relationship with Trump was still good despite the collapse of their second summit in Vietnam in February. According to Newsweek, Biden said at a campaign launch in Philadelphia on Saturday: "Are we a nation that embraces dictators and tyrants like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and Kim Jong Un?" State media the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) responded to criticism of the North's leadership in a commentary late on Tuesday. "What he uttered is just sophism of an imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being, let alone a politician," it said. KCNA listed previous controversies concerning Biden, including allegations of plagiarism and falling asleep during a speech by former President Barack Obama in 2011. "We will never pardon anyone who dare provoke the supreme leadership of the DPRK but will certainly make them pay for it," KCNA said, using North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Denuclearisation talks have stalled since the breakdown of the second meeting between Trump and Kim in February and North Korea conducted more weapons tests this month. The tests were seen as a protest by Kim after Trump rejected his calls for sanctions relief at the Hanoi summit.

North Korea slams Joe Biden for criticising leader Kim Jong Un

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vows-to-appeal-us-judges-decision-on-sharing-financial-records-with-congress-220248">US President Donald Trump</a>, facing a potentially difficult path to winning a second term in November 2020, on Monday told supporters in Pennsylvania that his trade war had strengthened the battleground state's steel industry and jobs.

Although Trump does not launch his re-election bid officially until next month, his appearance at a raucous rally in an airport hangar in northeastern Pennsylvania, using Air Force One as a backdrop, had the hallmarks of a campaign event.

He took aim at Democratic front-runner and former Vice President Joe Biden. "Sleepy Joe said that he's running to 'save the world.' ... He's going to save every country but ours," Trump said.

The president previewed the arguments he will make to voters in the 2020 election, crediting his trade stance with helping the US economy.

"When you have the best employment numbers in history, when you have the best unemployment numbers in history, when you have the best economy probably that we've ever had, I don't know - how the hell do you lose this election, right?" he said.

Trump has waged a high-stakes trade dispute with China, and tariffs imposed by both countries on a range of goods have raised fears of a global economic slowdown.

Trump last year also imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum. He claims that the move saved and created jobs at US mills as well as spurred investment such as by US Steel in Pennsylvania. Many economists say that those benefits are outweighed by higher costs to US companies and consumers.

Trump was stumping for a special House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania, one of three "Rust Belt" states he won in 2016 with votes from white, blue-collar voters who had previously voted Democratic.

His campaign sees the state as key to keeping control of the White House, along with Michigan and Wisconsin. A Quinnipiac University poll last week showed the president trailing the main Democratic contenders in Pennsylvania in particular.

"I'll be seeing a lot of you over the next year," Trump said. "Gotta win this state."

'Troublesome' trio of states

Trump has already been raising money for his re-election and holding political rallies for many months. But he plans an official rollout for his campaign in mid-June, the four-year anniversary of when he rode the escalator at Trump Tower down to a crowd of supporters and announced his candidacy.

He is likely to hold a rally in Florida, possibly on June 15, to mark the occasion, sources said. The Trump campaign declined to comment.

Trump, who considers Florida to be something of a second home, won the state in 2016. But as is the case for Trump in many battleground states, his victory is not assured there in 2020, and he will likely face a fight to win it again.

The Trump campaign has privately expressed concern about the trio of upper Midwest swing states that provided his 2016 margin of victory, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

A source close to the campaign called Trump's position in those states "troublesome."

"They're awakening to the fact that they've got a problem. They have a solid base among Republicans but a lot of independent voters that gave them the margin in these states are not doing well," the source said.

'Sleepy Joe'

Since Trump took over as president in early 2017, the United States has had low unemployment and strong growth. Typically, presidents with an economy this vibrant would be strong bets for re-election.

But Trump's polarizing presidency has given hope to a host of Democratic contenders that he can be denied a second term.

Biden has sounded a unifying theme to try to rally Americans behind his candidacy. In second place in the Democratic polls is democratic socialist Bernie Sanders.

Biden has put his campaign headquarters in Philadelphia and has held two rallies in the state during the past month.

Trump has dubbed Biden "Sleepy Joe" to try to undermine him, in much the same way as he gave Republican contender Jeb Bush the nickname "low-energy Jeb" in 2016.

US President Donald Trump, facing a potentially difficult path to winning a second term in November 2020, on Monday told supporters in Pennsylvania that his trade war had strengthened the battleground state's steel industry and jobs.

US President Donald Trump, facing a potentially difficult path to winning a second term in November 2020, on Monday told supporters in Pennsylvania that his trade war had strengthened the battleground state's steel industry and jobs. Although Trump does not launch his re-election bid officially until next month, his appearance at a raucous rally in an airport hangar in northeastern Pennsylvania, using Air Force One as a backdrop, had the hallmarks of a campaign event. He took aim at Democratic front-runner and former Vice President Joe Biden. "Sleepy Joe said that he's running to 'save the world.' ... He's going to save every country but ours," Trump said. The president previewed the arguments he will make to voters in the 2020 election, crediting his trade stance with helping the US economy. "When you have the best employment numbers in history, when you have the best unemployment numbers in history, when you have the best economy probably that we've ever had, I don't know - how the hell do you lose this election, right?" he said. Trump has waged a high-stakes trade dispute with China, and tariffs imposed by both countries on a range of goods have raised fears of a global economic slowdown. Trump last year also imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum. He claims that the move saved and created jobs at US mills as well as spurred investment such as by US Steel in Pennsylvania. Many economists say that those benefits are outweighed by higher costs to US companies and consumers. Trump was stumping for a special House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania, one of three "Rust Belt" states he won in 2016 with votes from white, blue-collar voters who had previously voted Democratic. His campaign sees the state as key to keeping control of the White House, along with Michigan and Wisconsin. A Quinnipiac University poll last week showed the president trailing the main Democratic contenders in Pennsylvania in particular. "I'll be seeing a lot of you over the next year," Trump said. "Gotta win this state." 'Troublesome' trio of states Trump has already been raising money for his re-election and holding political rallies for many months. But he plans an official rollout for his campaign in mid-June, the four-year anniversary of when he rode the escalator at Trump Tower down to a crowd of supporters and announced his candidacy. He is likely to hold a rally in Florida, possibly on June 15, to mark the occasion, sources said. The Trump campaign declined to comment. Trump, who considers Florida to be something of a second home, won the state in 2016. But as is the case for Trump in many battleground states, his victory is not assured there in 2020, and he will likely face a fight to win it again. The Trump campaign has privately expressed concern about the trio of upper Midwest swing states that provided his 2016 margin of victory, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. A source close to the campaign called Trump's position in those states "troublesome." "They're awakening to the fact that they've got a problem. They have a solid base among Republicans but a lot of independent voters that gave them the margin in these states are not doing well," the source said. 'Sleepy Joe' Since Trump took over as president in early 2017, the United States has had low unemployment and strong growth. Typically, presidents with an economy this vibrant would be strong bets for re-election. But Trump's polarizing presidency has given hope to a host of Democratic contenders that he can be denied a second term. Biden has sounded a unifying theme to try to rally Americans behind his candidacy. In second place in the Democratic polls is democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. Biden has put his campaign headquarters in Philadelphia and has held two rallies in the state during the past month. Trump has dubbed Biden "Sleepy Joe" to try to undermine him, in much the same way as he gave Republican contender Jeb Bush the nickname "low-energy Jeb" in 2016.

Trump tells Pennsylvania voters that trade war has helped economy

Oil prices edged up on Tuesday on signs that producer club OPEC will continue withholding supply this year and as tensions between the United States and Iran escalated.

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $72.07 per barrel at 0033 GMT, up 10 cents, or 0.1 per cent, from their last close.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up by 14 cents, or 0.2 per cent, at $63.24 per barrel.

"Oil prices opened higher, after OPEC held onto its production cut deal," said ANZ on Tuesday.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other non-member producers have been withholding production since the start of the year to prop up the market.

A meeting has been scheduled for June 25-26 to discuss the policy, but the cartel is now considering moving the event to July 3-4, according to OPEC sources on Monday, with its de-facto leader Saudi Arabia signalling a willingness to continue withholding output.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened Iran with "great force" if it attacked US interests in the Middle East. This came after a rocket attack in Iraq's capital Baghdad, which Washington suspects to have been organised by militia with ties to Iran.

ANZ bank said the rising tension in the Middle East meant a "risk premium is reflected in the price" of crude oil.

Oil prices edged up on Tuesday on signs that producer club OPEC will continue withholding supply this year and as tensions between the United States and Iran escalated.

Oil prices edged up on Tuesday on signs that producer club OPEC will continue withholding supply this year and as tensions between the United States and Iran escalated. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $72.07 per barrel at 0033 GMT, up 10 cents, or 0.1 per cent, from their last close. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up by 14 cents, or 0.2 per cent, at $63.24 per barrel. "Oil prices opened higher, after OPEC held onto its production cut deal," said ANZ on Tuesday. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other non-member producers have been withholding production since the start of the year to prop up the market. A meeting has been scheduled for June 25-26 to discuss the policy, but the cartel is now considering moving the event to July 3-4, according to OPEC sources on Monday, with its de-facto leader Saudi Arabia signalling a willingness to continue withholding output. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened Iran with "great force" if it attacked US interests in the Middle East. This came after a rocket attack in Iraq's capital Baghdad, which Washington suspects to have been organised by militia with ties to Iran. ANZ bank said the rising tension in the Middle East meant a "risk premium is reflected in the price" of crude oil.

Oil prices rise on rising Middle East tension, ongoing OPEC supply cut

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/americas/us-will-respond-with-great-force-if-iran-attacks-interests-donald-trump-220247">US President Donald Trump</a> on Monday said he disagreed with a federal judge who ruled against his attempt to block a House of Representatives committee from seeking his financial records and told reporters he would appeal the decision.

Trump told reporters the decision was "crazy" and that it would be appealed.

Lawyers for Trump and his company had argued the House Oversight Committee's demand for financial records from his accounting firm exceeded Congress's constitutional limits.

A US judge on Sunday has told Trump's accounting firms Mazars it will need to turn over his accounting records from before he was President to the Democratic-controlled House Oversight Committee.

Trump said, ''It's totally the wrong decision by obviously an Obama-appointed judge.''&nbsp;

US District Judge Amit Mehta said Mazars has seven days to comply with the subpoena.

Meanwhile, Mazars has denied to choose a side and said it will "comply with all legal obligations."

Trump's lawyers have argued that Congress is on a quest to "turn up something that Democrats can use as a political tool against the president now and in the 2020 election."

(With inputs from Reuters)

US President Donald Trump on Monday said he disagreed with a federal judge who ruled against his attempt to block a House of Representatives committee from seeking his financial records and told reporters he would appeal the decision.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said he disagreed with a federal judge who ruled against his attempt to block a House of Representatives committee from seeking his financial records and told reporters he would appeal the decision. Trump told reporters the decision was "crazy" and that it would be appealed. Lawyers for Trump and his company had argued the House Oversight Committee's demand for financial records from his accounting firm exceeded Congress's constitutional limits. A US judge on Sunday has told Trump's accounting firms Mazars it will need to turn over his accounting records from before he was President to the Democratic-controlled House Oversight Committee. Trump said, ''It's totally the wrong decision by obviously an Obama-appointed judge.'' US District Judge Amit Mehta said Mazars has seven days to comply with the subpoena. Meanwhile, Mazars has denied to choose a side and said it will "comply with all legal obligations." Trump's lawyers have argued that Congress is on a quest to "turn up something that Democrats can use as a political tool against the president now and in the 2020 election." (With inputs from Reuters)

Trump vows to appeal US judge's decision on sharing financial records with Congress

US President Donald Trump has unveiled a new merit and points-based immigration policy that replaces the existing green cards with 'Build America' visa and substantially hikes the quota for young and highly-skilled workers from 12 to 57 per cent, a move likely to benefit thousands of Indian professionals.

Indians Likely To Benefit As Trump Unveils New Immigration Policy For Merit-based Professionals

Global equities fell on Monday after their worst week of 2019 as hopes of an imminent US-China trade deal were crushed, raising fears of a fresh round of tit-for-tat tariffs.

The impasse left investors bracing for retaliation by China for Washington's increase on Friday of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. The move followed accusations by US President Donald Trump that Beijing had reneged on earlier commitments.

Trump on Monday warned China not to retaliate against an increase in tariffs he imposed last week.

Escalation could tip the US economy into recession, a risk flagged by the inversion in US Treasury bond yield curve between three-month and 10-year rates for the second time in under a week.

The US curve has inverted before each recession in the past 50 years. It gave a false signal just once.

"Overall, in the short term the chances of recession have increased so equity markets will be priced on the back of that," said Justin Oneukwusi, portfolio manager at Legal &amp; General Investment Management.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 slipped 0.5%. S&amp;P 500 futures shed 1.3%.

Chinese shares tumbled. The benchmark Shanghai Composite and the blue-chip CSI 300 indices shed 1.2% and 1.8%, respectively.

The offshore Chinese yuan fell to its lowest in more than four months, 6.88 to the dollar.

Trade talks as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any "bitter fruit" that harmed its interests.

"How far this escalates is what the market is really worried about ... The important thing is what's the impact on growth, and that's what the market is really fearing," Oneukwusi said.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News that China needed to agree to "very strong" enforcement provisions to secure a deal. He said the sticking point was Beijing's reluctance to put into law changes that had been agreed.

Kudlow said US tariffs would remain in place while negotiations continued and Trump was likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Japan in late June.

"The risk of a full-blown trade war has materially increased, even though both sides seem to still want a trade deal and talks are expected to continue," UBS economist Tao Wang said.

Washington said it was preparing to raise tariffs on all remaining imports from China, worth about $300 billion.

"Our base case is for limited progress and Chinese retaliation," said Michael Hanson, head of global macro strategy at TD Securities.

Major currencies were relatively calm. The euro was steady at $1.1234 and the dollar little changed against a basket of currencies at 97.270.

"We've seen pretty restrained moves among currencies, despite some severe rhetoric between the US and China so far. However, cause for concern remains a weaker yuan, which should be a warning sign for risk assets," said Marc-André Fongern of MAF Global Forex.

Emerging-market stocks were down 0.9 per cent, hovering near January lows. JPMorgan said it had reduced its emerging-markets risk for the second time in as many months on Monday following the setback in US-China trade talks.

In commodities, oil futures jumped on growing concern about supply disruptions in the Middle East. Brent crude futures rose 1.8% to $71.90 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate futures were up 1.5% at $62.56 per barrel.

In digital currencies, Bitcoin hovered above $7,000 on Monday, close to nine-month highs, as the biggest cryptocurrency's 2019 rally gathered steam.

Global equities fell on Monday after their worst week of 2019 as hopes of an imminent US-China trade deal were crushed, raising fears of a fresh round of tit-for-tat tariffs.

Global equities fell on Monday after their worst week of 2019 as hopes of an imminent US-China trade deal were crushed, raising fears of a fresh round of tit-for-tat tariffs. The impasse left investors bracing for retaliation by China for Washington's increase on Friday of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. The move followed accusations by US President Donald Trump that Beijing had reneged on earlier commitments. Trump on Monday warned China not to retaliate against an increase in tariffs he imposed last week. Escalation could tip the US economy into recession, a risk flagged by the inversion in US Treasury bond yield curve between three-month and 10-year rates for the second time in under a week. The US curve has inverted before each recession in the past 50 years. It gave a false signal just once. "Overall, in the short term the chances of recession have increased so equity markets will be priced on the back of that," said Justin Oneukwusi, portfolio manager at Legal & General Investment Management. The pan-European Stoxx 600 slipped 0.5%. S&P 500 futures shed 1.3%. Chinese shares tumbled. The benchmark Shanghai Composite and the blue-chip CSI 300 indices shed 1.2% and 1.8%, respectively. The offshore Chinese yuan fell to its lowest in more than four months, 6.88 to the dollar. Trade talks as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any "bitter fruit" that harmed its interests. "How far this escalates is what the market is really worried about ... The important thing is what's the impact on growth, and that's what the market is really fearing," Oneukwusi said. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News that China needed to agree to "very strong" enforcement provisions to secure a deal. He said the sticking point was Beijing's reluctance to put into law changes that had been agreed. Kudlow said US tariffs would remain in place while negotiations continued and Trump was likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Japan in late June. "The risk of a full-blown trade war has materially increased, even though both sides seem to still want a trade deal and talks are expected to continue," UBS economist Tao Wang said. Washington said it was preparing to raise tariffs on all remaining imports from China, worth about $300 billion. "Our base case is for limited progress and Chinese retaliation," said Michael Hanson, head of global macro strategy at TD Securities. Major currencies were relatively calm. The euro was steady at $1.1234 and the dollar little changed against a basket of currencies at 97.270. "We've seen pretty restrained moves among currencies, despite some severe rhetoric between the US and China so far. However, cause for concern remains a weaker yuan, which should be a warning sign for risk assets," said Marc-André Fongern of MAF Global Forex. Emerging-market stocks were down 0.9 per cent, hovering near January lows. JPMorgan said it had reduced its emerging-markets risk for the second time in as many months on Monday following the setback in US-China trade talks. In commodities, oil futures jumped on growing concern about supply disruptions in the Middle East. Brent crude futures rose 1.8% to $71.90 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate futures were up 1.5% at $62.56 per barrel. In digital currencies, Bitcoin hovered above $7,000 on Monday, close to nine-month highs, as the biggest cryptocurrency's 2019 rally gathered steam.

US-China trade setback stokes recession fears; stocks slide

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tariffs-will-bring-in-far-more-wealth-to-our-country-than-even-phenomenal-deal-of-traditional-kind-donald-trump-217507">US President Donald Trump</a> and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are likely to meet during a G20 summit in Japan at the end of June and discuss trade, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday.

"Let me repeat again the strong possibility that the two presidents will meet in Japan at G20," Kudlow told Fox News Sunday, adding that there were no other fresh talks scheduled between Beijing and Washington for now.

The United States escalated a tariff war with China on Friday by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trade-deal-will-become-far-worse-if-negotiated-in-my-second-term-donald-trump-warns-china-217861">hiking levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods</a> after Trump said Beijing "broke the deal" by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-warns-china-to-strike-a-trade-deal-or-face-worse-terms-218018/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Over the past couple of weeks, China had backtracked from some its commitments, Kudlow said. The sticking point right now was to ensure Beijing put the changes it had promised into law, he added.

The latest round of talks on Friday ended without success and Trump ordered his trade chief to begin the process of imposing tariffs on all remaining imports from China.

Kudlow said Washington was seeking strong enforcement provisions on a number of issues, such as forced technology transfer and intellectual property.

"We have to have a very strong agreement to correct, to right these wrongs before we will be satisfied," he said.

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are likely to meet during a G20 summit in Japan at the end of June and discuss trade, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are likely to meet during a G20 summit in Japan at the end of June and discuss trade, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday. "Let me repeat again the strong possibility that the two presidents will meet in Japan at G20," Kudlow told Fox News Sunday, adding that there were no other fresh talks scheduled between Beijing and Washington for now. The United States escalated a tariff war with China on Friday by hiking levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods after Trump said Beijing "broke the deal" by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. Over the past couple of weeks, China had backtracked from some its commitments, Kudlow said. The sticking point right now was to ensure Beijing put the changes it had promised into law, he added. The latest round of talks on Friday ended without success and Trump ordered his trade chief to begin the process of imposing tariffs on all remaining imports from China. Kudlow said Washington was seeking strong enforcement provisions on a number of issues, such as forced technology transfer and intellectual property. "We have to have a very strong agreement to correct, to right these wrongs before we will be satisfied," he said.

Trump, Xi likely to meet in Japan in June, says White House official

The United States deployed its assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to bolster an aircraft carrier force sent to counter alleged threats from Iran. Watch the full video to know more.

US sends assault ship, missiles to West Asia to warn Iran

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tariffs-will-bring-in-far-more-wealth-to-our-country-than-even-phenomenal-deal-of-traditional-kind-donald-trump-217507">Trump defends latest tariff hike on China, says it 'will bring in far more wealth to US'</a>

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the tariffs on Chinese goods will bring more wealth to America "that even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind". "We have lost 500 billion dollars a year, for many years, on Crazy Trade with China. NO MORE!," his tweet read.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/whether-on-land-sky-or-in-space-will-protect-indians-against-any-threat-to-nation-pm-modi-217481">Whether on land, sky or in space, will protect Indians against any threat to nation: PM Modi&nbsp;</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is bound to protect India and its citizens.&nbsp;

Answering a series of questions during his interaction with media in Haryana's Rohtak, the prime minister said that action will be taken against "any threat to the nation, be it by people or any system".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/we-will-form-the-next-government-2019-will-not-be-1996-nitin-gadkari-to-wion-217517">We will form the next government, 2019 will not be like 1996: Nitin Gadkari to WION</a>

Speaking exclusively to WION, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that he does not harbour prime ministerial ambition and that he is confident that the BJP will form the next government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/relentless-taliban-violence-casts-a-pall-over-slow-afghan-talks-217529">Relentless Taliban violence casts a pall over 'slow' Afghan talks</a>

Talks with the Taliban on ending Afghanistan's war are making steady but slow progress, the chief US envoy involved in the negotiations said on Friday while signalling growing frustration with relentless militant violence.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/lankan-court-orders-dna-test-to-verify-death-of-easter-bombings-mastermind-217506">Sri Lankan court orders DNA test to verify death of Easter bombings mastermind</a>

A Sri Lankan court has ordered a DNA test before May 15 to verify the death of Mohamed Cassim Zahran, the ring leader of the local Islamist extremist group NTJ which the government blamed carried out the devastating Easter Sunday bombings killing over 250 people.

Trump defends latest tariff hike on China, says it 'will bring in far more wealth to US' US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the tariffs on Chinese goods will bring more wealth to America "that even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind".

Trump defends latest tariff hike on China, says it 'will bring in far more wealth to US' US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the tariffs on Chinese goods will bring more wealth to America "that even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind". "We have lost 500 billion dollars a year, for many years, on Crazy Trade with China. NO MORE!," his tweet read. Whether on land, sky or in space, will protect Indians against any threat to nation: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is bound to protect India and its citizens. Answering a series of questions during his interaction with media in Haryana's Rohtak, the prime minister said that action will be taken against "any threat to the nation, be it by people or any system". We will form the next government, 2019 will not be like 1996: Nitin Gadkari to WION Speaking exclusively to WION, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that he does not harbour prime ministerial ambition and that he is confident that the BJP will form the next government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Relentless Taliban violence casts a pall over 'slow' Afghan talks Talks with the Taliban on ending Afghanistan's war are making steady but slow progress, the chief US envoy involved in the negotiations said on Friday while signalling growing frustration with relentless militant violence. Sri Lankan court orders DNA test to verify death of Easter bombings mastermind A Sri Lankan court has ordered a DNA test before May 15 to verify the death of Mohamed Cassim Zahran, the ring leader of the local Islamist extremist group NTJ which the government blamed carried out the devastating Easter Sunday bombings killing over 250 people.

The US said that China has back tracked on commitments and trade talks that prompted President Trump to threaten additional Tariffs over the weekend. Watch full video to know more.

US: There's been an ersosion in commitments by China

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is ready to see off any attack from the United States, his foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said Monday in Moscow, after a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.&nbsp;

"We are ready for all scenarios. The first is diplomacy, dialogue, peace," Arreaza told a press conference.&nbsp;

But if Washington "opts for the military path, we have an armed force,&nbsp;people, a national guard that will be able not just to resist and fight, but also to win," he added.&nbsp;

The statement comes following a failed, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-to-strip-immunity-from-lawmakers-who-backed-coup-bid-216298">US-backed bid by the Venezuelan</a> opposition to spur a military uprising.

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blamed the failure on Russia, a key backer of Maduro.&nbsp;

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has meanwhile called on Washington to "abandon its irresponsible plans" in the crisis-wracked country.

The push and shove set the stage for a Pompeo meeting with Lavrov in Finland this week.&nbsp;

The tense exchange belied the conciliatory tone taken by US President Donald Trump on Friday after what he said was "a very good conversation" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Arreaza said Caracas was developing "alternatives to financial trading systems" with its Russian and Chinese allies to "get around the American blockade".&nbsp;

He also confirmed a Venezuelan delegation would be at an economic forum in Saint Petersburg next month, possibly including Maduro.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is ready to see off any attack from the United States, his foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said Monday in Moscow, after a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is ready to see off any attack from the United States, his foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said Monday in Moscow, after a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. "We are ready for all scenarios. The first is diplomacy, dialogue, peace," Arreaza told a press conference. But if Washington "opts for the military path, we have an armed force, people, a national guard that will be able not just to resist and fight, but also to win," he added. The statement comes following a failed, US-backed bid by the Venezuelan opposition to spur a military uprising. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blamed the failure on Russia, a key backer of Maduro. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has meanwhile called on Washington to "abandon its irresponsible plans" in the crisis-wracked country. The push and shove set the stage for a Pompeo meeting with Lavrov in Finland this week. The tense exchange belied the conciliatory tone taken by US President Donald Trump on Friday after what he said was "a very good conversation" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Arreaza said Caracas was developing "alternatives to financial trading systems" with its Russian and Chinese allies to "get around the American blockade". He also confirmed a Venezuelan delegation would be at an economic forum in Saint Petersburg next month, possibly including Maduro.

If United States opts for war, we will not only fight but win: Venezuela government

Tehran has appointed a new CEO to head national airline Iran Air, state news reported, replacing its first female CEO with a US-blacklisted pilot.

Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh, a former air force commander who features on a US Treasury sanctions list, was named for the post at a Sunday cabinet meeting.

He will replace Farzaneh Sharafbafi, the first Iranian woman to boast a PhD in aerospace, who led the airline for two years.

Zanganeh was previously CEO of Meraj Air, which was also sanctioned by the US in 2014.

Individuals on the Specially Designated Nationals List are generally prohibited from having US bank accounts.

US persons can also face civil or criminal penalties for engaging in business dealings with them, according to the US treasury.

Iran Air had been planning to upgrade its ageing fleet after long-standing US sanctions were lifted following the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

But when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the accord early last year and reimposed crippling economic sanctions, the treasury department revoked licenses for Boeing and Airbus to sell passenger jets to Iran.

Tehran has appointed a new CEO to head national airline Iran Air, state news reported, replacing its first female CEO with a US-blacklisted pilot. Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh, a former air force commander who features on a US Treasury sanctions list, was named for the post at a Sunday cabinet meeting.

Tehran has appointed a new CEO to head national airline Iran Air, state news reported, replacing its first female CEO with a US-blacklisted pilot. Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh, a former air force commander who features on a US Treasury sanctions list, was named for the post at a Sunday cabinet meeting. He will replace Farzaneh Sharafbafi, the first Iranian woman to boast a PhD in aerospace, who led the airline for two years. Zanganeh was previously CEO of Meraj Air, which was also sanctioned by the US in 2014. Individuals on the Specially Designated Nationals List are generally prohibited from having US bank accounts. US persons can also face civil or criminal penalties for engaging in business dealings with them, according to the US treasury. Iran Air had been planning to upgrade its ageing fleet after long-standing US sanctions were lifted following the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. But when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the accord early last year and reimposed crippling economic sanctions, the treasury department revoked licenses for Boeing and Airbus to sell passenger jets to Iran.

Iran Air appoints new US-sanctioned CEO

US President Donald Trump raised pressure on China over trade negotiations on Sunday by saying <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-trade-dilemma-how-to-hold-beijings-feet-to-the-fire-216010">US tariffs on certain Chinese products</a> will increase to 25&nbsp;per cent on Friday and that more Chinese goods will face additional tariffs.

Trump had previously delayed the tariff increases earlier in the year, citing productive talks with China.

Sunday's announcement casts into doubt previous expectations that China and the United States were closing in on a deal to end a months-long trade war that has slowed global growth and disrupted markets.

"For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods," Trump wrote on Twitter.

"The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billions Dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%," he added.

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....of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1125069836088950784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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US-China trade talks are due to resume this week, with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He due to travel to Washington. That follows talks in April in Beijing that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called "productive."

As recently as Friday, Trump said talks with China was going well.

Last week, industry sources said they believed the talks were in the endgame, and Mnuchin had said he hoped that the U.S. negotiating team would soon be able to recommend a deal to Trump or tell him that one could not be reached.

The administration has been insisting on a mechanism to ensure that China follows through on any promises to purchase more American goods.&nbsp;

Administration officials have said both sides are expected to launch new enforcement staffs to police the agreement.

US President Donald Trump raised pressure on China over trade negotiations on Sunday by saying US tariffs on certain Chinese products will increase to 25 per cent on Friday and that more Chinese goods will face additional tariffs.

US President Donald Trump raised pressure on China over trade negotiations on Sunday by saying US tariffs on certain Chinese products will increase to 25 per cent on Friday and that more Chinese goods will face additional tariffs. Trump had previously delayed the tariff increases earlier in the year, citing productive talks with China. Sunday's announcement casts into doubt previous expectations that China and the United States were closing in on a deal to end a months-long trade war that has slowed global growth and disrupted markets. "For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods," Trump wrote on Twitter. "The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billions Dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%," he added. ....of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019 × US-China trade talks are due to resume this week, with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He due to travel to Washington. That follows talks in April in Beijing that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called "productive." As recently as Friday, Trump said talks with China was going well. Last week, industry sources said they believed the talks were in the endgame, and Mnuchin had said he hoped that the U.S. negotiating team would soon be able to recommend a deal to Trump or tell him that one could not be reached. The administration has been insisting on a mechanism to ensure that China follows through on any promises to purchase more American goods. Administration officials have said both sides are expected to launch new enforcement staffs to police the agreement.

Trump announces higher US tariffs on China goods